Trafficking Teenagers: A Shocking Report from the UK

Posted on July 3rd, 2008 by Paul Bernish

If you’ve ever wondered how girls can fall victim to sex trafficking, a newly released government report from Britain provides a harrowing glimpse into a world in which men who are supposedly "boy friends" of young teens are, instead, coercing the girls into forced sex, all for the purpose of generating quick cash.

According to a report in the Guardian newspaper , as many as 33 girls between the ages of 12 and 15 were involved in a case uncovered in Sheffield last year. Only one, a 15-year-old, was willing to give evidence in court, but following that a 23-year-old man was jailed for 10 years for serious sexual offenses which included rape of a child. Five other men faced deportation procedures.

What’s the scope of the problem? British police estimate that as many as 18,000 trafficking victims — many from China, southeast Asia and eastern Europe — are brought into Britain and then forced to work as prostitutes.

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